Review - Cannery Row

My copy of this novel has the following summary on the cover:

The famous novel. The unforgettable people. The crazy, colorful world they lived in.

I can’t help but think that this does a disservice to the world crafted in Cannery Row. The world isn’t crazy - it’s real. Steinbeck shows you the salt and dirt of California rural life with no holds barred.

This is the only Steinbeck book I’ve read other than Of Mice and Men. It greatly reminded me of some of the writing I’ve read from Ernest Hemingway. The difference is that Hemingway’s writing is a good wine - sorrowful, rich, deep. Hemingway makes you feel sad by evoking the melancholy parts of life. Steinbeck, on the other hand, is bittersweet like dark chocolate. He makes you sad by reminding you of the good things.

✭✭✭✭✭